Aiming for the Stars
by MidoriEnvy
Summary: One is lost, the other is making up for lost time, the other may have blindly lost time creating a love triangle filled with unspoken words. Tenten Neji Sasuke, yes crack pairing in that, you can slap me.
1. Prologue

Note: Naruto no belongy to me!

She refused to get in the way of what he wanted. That's how she always was with him, her unyielding loyalty towards his stoic presence. Always watching in admiration for his continuing accomplishments which she worked so hard to help him with. From dusk till dawn, she supported his will to prove himself to his family with her own determination to reach the strength of her idol. In the end, he finally gained the acceptance that he wanted all his life.

Tenten could only feel nothing but joy for her teammate's achievement.

Things became bittersweet for her. Her feelings of friendship towards Neji Hyuuga blossomed into a deep love. However, upon finally being truly accepted to the Main Branch of the Hyuuga family, Neji spent a great deal of his time training with Hiashi. The days of Tenten and Neji training together drew to a minimum, as Tenten could no longer offer as much growth as Hiashi could. She could never tell him her feelings, knowing that it would only serve a hindrance to his straightforward ambitions.

Then one day, she felt her heart collapse.

He was sitting against the trunk of a tree in the training grounds that they ventured to so often when they were still at the genin level. Tenten could only hold back the fast beats of her heart as Lee challenged Neji to another battle. When Neji refused Lee's offer, with a look of annoyance, he rose to his feet.

"Hiashi-sama has set up an engagement with me and a girl from another clan."

Tenten could only suppress her breaking heart. The man she had loved for so long, getting married to another girl. She felt herself shake softly but quickly repressed the feeling as she approached Neji with a smile and a steady congratulation.

She went home that day, remembering the looks of concern from Gai-sensei and Lee, both whom had secretly known about Tenten's feelings. With the door shut, lying on her bed, tears falling down her face, Tenten could only feel nothing but misery. Was it regret? Perhaps. Remembering the times where she could have told Neji that she loved him, she would have shown affection to him, she should have made the effort to. Maybe, Neji would have loved her back and it would have been her together with Neji.

Then again, this is Neji.

Stoic, handsome, emotionless Neji and she just had to fall for him. He was completely out of her reach. Even with the fact that he opened himself up to her about his life, she never felt that she could truly catch up to him despite her persistence. Maybe it was time to let go.

Time for Tenten to stop aiming for the stars.

Author's Notes: I borrowed "aiming for the stars" element from BLEACH. I'm a firm believer that Neji does have an element that makes him seem somewhat unattainable. Tenten is a strong supporting character; we all know she watches Neji with great admiration. However, I think she's somewhat the same as Renji from BLEACH. Both of them are actually strong, key supporting characters, but they get their butt kicked a lot. (Come to think of it I think Neji could totally sport the Byakuya look wait…Byakugan, Byakuya! Anyways, enough of that.) My idea is to make this a love triangle fanfic. (My choice will probably be revealed soon.) Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter ) Read, review, critique me, flame me, ANYTHING. Oh, and I would love to have someone beta my future chapters for me.


	2. Chapter 1

was down so I couldn't update as fast, sorry.

Glad you guys liked the beginning XD I'm definitely writing more because I love Naruto! I took a great deal of time editing this chapter over and over, so I hope you guys like it;; Love  
my reviews so far.

I'm keeping most if not all aspects of this story a surprise.

Note: I don't own naruto! (I kind of want to own Shikamaru though, I'd force him to do my homework.)

Raindrops beat her heavily as she honed her accuracy. Despite being renowned in Konoha as the weapon mistress, it was always good to go back to the basics. If anything, rain and wind both had a tendency to hinder Tenten from hitting all her marks. To keep her reputation, to grow stronger, to be like Tsunade, nothing was going to stop her especially minor things like weather.

"Tsunade-sama would like to speak to you Tenten."

Tenten perked up as she turned around to see the laid back form Nara Shikamaru. Ah, the lazy shinobi, the man hadn't even bothered to become a Jonin even though he was the first to become a Chuunin. With his back slouched and his hands in his pocket, he truly hadn't changed much. His classic look of annoyance caused Tenten to grin in amusement. Shikamaru raised his eyebrow at her reaction as Tenten gathered her weapons. "Ahh…doing this is troublesome."

_I wonder what Tsunade-sama needs._

-

Tsunade sipped her sake as she waited in her office. _Perhaps this might not be a good idea, but it is worth a shot._ As her door opened up slowly and Tenten's tall form approached Tsunade, she let out a breath.

For the past couple years, she watched Tenten and the other kunoichis grow stronger. While Tsunade herself ended up selecting Sakura Haruno as her own private pupil, it didn't mean she neglected to recognize the other kunoichis. _Tenten _she thought _You are Konoha's weapon mistress, no one is able to surpass you in your knowledge and skill. However, your strength lies in other areas as well._

"You do recall recently that a certain person came back to Konoha right Tenten?" asked Tsunade.

Tenten felt confused for a moment as Tsunade simply stated "Uchiha Sasuke."

"Yes Tsunade-sama, I understand who you're talking about, but what does he have to do with me?"

"I want you to help him train," stated Tsunade. "I placed a seal on him that would limit his strength as punishment for his betrayal. It would have been harsher, but he is one of the only people who can defeat Orochimaru in Konoha's time of peril."

"I don't understand, why not get Naruto or Sakura to train him? They were his teammates; they understand him more than I ever would. Wait…why would Sasuke Uchiha need training anyways?" replied a confused Tenten.

"The cursed seal that Orochimaru placed on him when he was twelve still poses a threat to his well being, I want you to help him control it," answered Tsunade. "Naruto and Sakura are on an important mission with Kakashi, so they are unavailable."

Tenten gulped. _Control his seal, how could I do that? Tsunade-sama must be placing a lot of faith in me if she's giving me this mission. I guess I have no choice then, but how am I going to handle **THE **Sasuke Uchiha……_

"Furthermore, he will be living with you."

**_WHAT! _** Trying to keep calm while listening to this sure was hard, Tenten bowed sheepishly as she walked out of Tsunade's office.

Tsunade watched her walk out with half lid eyes. When the door finally clicked shut, she let out a sigh of sympathy. _If it hadn't been for your dedication, Hyuuga Neji would never have been where he is now. You were able to handle Neji for all those years, perhaps your methods can be used for Sasuke as well. _Tsunade turned her head towards the open window. _If only Neji knew what he left behind…_

-

With a wide-eyed expression planted on her face, Tenten slowly walked the hallway with a plethora of thoughts knocking at her head.

Train Sasuke Uchiha… 

_While he's living with me…_

_His cursed seal…_

_Sakura… _she was the only person who had ever been able to repress the curse. The dark marks flowing away as the pink haired girl embraced Sasuke with tears of genuine concern for the teammate she connected with. Tenten saw this with her own eyes that day those Sound Ninjas tried to kill Sasuke. From what she remembered during a conversation with Naruto and Sakura a long time ago, the seal was very unstable. Even when Kakashi used a seal to repress the cursed one, it was Sasuke's avenging heart that eventually opened up a monster.

What Tsunade did say about the time of peril was true though; the fear of Orochimaru's increasing powers continue to cause a wide spread panic among the ninjas of Konoha. Even with Sasuke's punishment, his overall talent as a ninja probably put him among the rank of Jonin. No doubt Tsunade felt that Sasuke could easily be one of the only people who could defeat Orochimaru because of his previous experiences with him. The possibility of working with him and his unstable cursed seal didn't scare Tenten much. It was the idea that Tsunade thought Tenten could do anything about his situation that confused her.

How am I supposed to help him with that…thing when I don't even have any sort of bond with him?

Her thoughts trailed to Neji, the old days when they trained before the Chunin exam. The man had several months till he was finally getting married; the gossip surrounding it was intense. Everything from the details of the decorations to the food became instant tabloid news. This made it harder for Tenten to try and keep her feelings for Neji repressed.

His future wife was everything that the Hyuuga clan valued: sophisticated, exotic and a background of strong ancestry. Tenten's first time seeing her pushed herself to further believe that she could never be worthy of becoming Neji's romantic partner. Red hair as bright as fully bloomed roses, sapphire eyes framed with long lashes and the graceful movements that screamed royalty. No doubt that Tenten's plain looks couldn't compare. With all the wedding planning and Jonin missions, Tenten hadn't seen or spoken to Neji since that day she congratulated him at the training grounds.

I wonder if he thinks of me at all… 

She shook her head. _Forget about it. _Walking on, she saw a dark form staring nonchalantly at her. Tenten was close to whipping out her kunai until she finally realized who it was.

Uchiha Sasuke 

Short black shirt, long black pants and the same aloof air that he always had surrounding him. He was definitely taller than she remembered him to be. Not much really changed about him though, his hair was still somewhat unruly and his eyes, still an empty onyx.

"Ah, sorry for making you wait Sasuke-kun, I guess you're going to be living with me for a bit, so umm…I guess we can try to get along?" stammered Tenten. To say that she was intimidated was somewhat of an understatement. All of this was coming too fast, too soon and the fact that he returned her welcome with a cold gaze made it even worse.

"Hn" Sasuke looked away from her and grabbed his pack. He recognized the girl standing before him from a long time ago. The bun wearing weapons expert who always trained with the male Hyuuga. Initially Sasuke had scoffed at the idea of living with someone else, but he couldn't deny Tsunade's request. It did make sense for Tsunade to worry, even after returning as a criminal, Sasuke still had legions of women who still wanted to marry him as well as death threats from others. Someone had to be around for crowd control. _I guess she'll do, it's better than Tsunade assigning me to live with a crazed psycho._

-

As they walked beside each other, the clouds no longer beating down rain, not a word was said but the stares from the locals caused a quiet rumble. Tenten ignored whatever they were gossiping about and turned her focus on Sasuke. The man had always been incredibly good looking but his arms were marred with a variety of dark and light scares. _Probably from all that training with Orochimaru._ He continued to walk, his gaze up ahead, seemingly not acknowledging the older girl beside him.Tenten could only feel nothing but the long imaginary distance between them. _If only I could talk to him, strike something up, then this won't feel so uncomfortable._

He knew she was staring at him. He knew what people were saying. The envious glares that his psycho fan club sent to Tenten. His vague memory of her replicated what she looked like presently. Hair up high in two buns, a pink Chinese style jacket in favor of the Jounin vest, only this time she wasn't standing by Hyuuga Neji. He could feel her nervousness, though he couldn't feel any feelings of distrust coming out of her. Most of the sane people of Konoha were afraid of him, eyed him with the utmost contempt when they saw he came back. The aura that the locals gave as they walked passed by him felt stuffy and unwelcoming. He eyed Tenten for a millisecond; perhaps Tsunade's belief in her wasn't misplaced.

Tenten fumbled with the keys to her apartment. As they both entered, Sasuke noted the walls and the furniture had Chinese art and characters all over them. The place wasn't too big or too small, enough to live comfortably in. _Very Tenten _he thought.

"Sasuke, catch!"

He felt a cool metal at the palm of his hand.

"I figured you would need a set of keys since you'll be living here and all. Tsunade-sama did put a curfew on you, but I think you'll have no trouble avoiding the wrath of our Hokage," stated Tenten. She smiled at Sasuke kindly as she headed towards the kitchen.

_She doesn't want to cage me _thought Sasuke. He slouched down on the green sofa in the living room. Putting his hands to his face, keys still held, Sasuke contemplated the years he spent in his dark loneliness. There was no doubt that he still wanted to avenge his family, but as time passed brutally training in the dark side, Sasuke's memories started to become distorted. With each new jutsu he learned he grew closer to Itachi, the more he focused on Itachi, the more Sasuke started losing everything around him. If it had not been for Naruto finally knocking some sense out of him, Sasuke might have lost the memories he cherished so much in his heart. Not just the memories of Team 7, but the images of his family. He let Itachi get to him. Sasuke's last memories of his mother and father brutally murdered were etched too deep in his mind to the point where he almost forgot the way his mother smiled encouragingly to him whenever he felt upset. In truth, there was more mental anguish in forgetting about his family then knowing Itachi killed them. To train each day remembering his father's proud remarks of his accomplishments, to the memories of his mother's smile, that was something Sasuke wanted to do, to truly fight for his family. His thoughts were interrupted with a small click of a brown tray presented in front of him. The delicious aroma of food reached his nose as he lowered his hands from his face and sat up.

"I figured you were hungry, so I made a couple dishes from my native homeland. Make yourself comfortable," said a cheery Tenten.

She sat on the ground looking up at him intriguingly. _I wish I knew how to read him_ His eyes acknowledged the food as he quickly started eating. Soon, Tenten reached for her chopsticks, consuming slowly while still watching Sasuke. As quickly as Tenten could even eat a quarter of her rice bowl, Sasuke placed his down as a sign that he was finished. Glancing over at her, Tenten could feel the intensity of his eyes. If it hadn't been her being used to such stares due to Neji, Tenten's face would have been as bright as a tomato. She rose up and started to collect her dishes before realizing Sasuke had risen to put away his. For a moment, she thought she saw a faint grin appeared on his handsome face as he walked to the kitchen sink. Tenten followed his lead confused by his possibly sudden expression of kindness. To her surprise, she saw Sasuke turn on the faucet to wash the dishes.

"Umm, maybe I should do those? It's your first night here so you should probably unpack and get some rest," baffled Tenten.

Sasuke rinsed off suds from the bowl as he turned to Tenten with an unreadable expression. To her shock, Sasuke smiled at her, something that caused her to almost stumble over in surprise if her self-control didn't set in.

"You have shown me nothing but kindness Tenten. I owe you my thanks."

The ice block finally cracked.

**Note**: I know it sounds freakishly weird that Sasuke would still have a fanclub even after coming back as a criminal. However, it is true that criminals in prison generally have legions of women writing love letters to them. (Especially if you're famous) In regards to this chapter and Sasuke's characterization, I'm kind of toying around with him at the moment while trying to keep his personality in check. We really see Sasuke's parents alive in one episode while the rest of the episodes surround the images of Sasuke's parents murdered. What I'm trying to do with his character is to instill a new faith in Sasuke where he would rather fight for the memories of his parents than succumb to Itachi's words and kill off his best friend just to get the strength to kill him. I'm sure a lot of people believe this portrayal of Sasuke is a bit OOC. Coming from my perspective, I believe that after all those years of being a missing-nin, only to come back causes a lot of discomfort, even for a loner like Sasuke. I think it's plausible for Sasuke to direct kindness to someone who's willing to take you in without the feeling of distrust or hatred.

Regarding Neji's status at the moment, he will appear! I don't know when, but he will and the drama will ensue. I do have a feeling that Neji/Tenten fans want to kill me now.

Yeah, this fic equals Neji/Tenten/Sasuke

Any more questions, I shall answer! Leave a review because you love me.


	3. Chapter 2

**Note**: Naruto doesn't belong to me, blah blah blah

She couldn't even look at the envelope that came addressed to her.

They had just come back from a long sparring session. Both of them drenched in sweat with the fans blowing wind at the highest power, Sasuke had walked off to take a shower. Tenten leaned back on the kitchen counter with a cold container of juice while she flipped through her mail. A fancy envelope lined with silver took her attention as she realized what it could only be. She could already feel a pit driving down her heart as she mentally berated herself for even thinking about the feelings that she tried so hard to repress. Slowly, Tenten summed up the courage to slowly perforate the envelope. Reading the card, she could only quickly put it down on the counter and run to her room.

Sasuke towel dried off his hair as he walked into the kitchen to grab something to drink. A bright opened card caught his attention as he peered over to read the contents. _An invitation to a dinner party at the Hyuuga estate. _Not thinking much of it, he walked towards Tenten's room to tell her that it was her turn to shower. Knocking on the door, Sasuke looked down upon a red-eyed girl. "The shower's ready," he said, pretending to not notice her crying.

Quickly jumping into the shower, she let her hair freefall. Warmth surrounded her and for a brief moment, there was serenity. A change of mood shifted as the feeling of hopelessness started to arise. The water weighed her down. She could feel only the heaviness of her drenched body. Her long hair in front of her face as her half lit eyes gazed down at the water draining. Though it seemed that gloom washed on her, she thought she could stay in that familiar feeling forever.

Tenten came out of the shower feeling selfish. She wanted to go to the dinner party to support Neji, but how long would it be before she would break down and make a fool of herself. It hurt seeing him with his future wife, it hurt knowing that she could never just be around him. The deep rumble of his voice, the way he spun his words with such eloquence, hearing Neji's voice caused her heart to melt like ice in summer heat. With a ring of her doorbell, Tenten walked over to her door to find a familiar face clad in green.

"Tenten! Youthful flower of Team Gai! How has your day been!"

Tenten smiled as she couldn't help but enjoy Lee's positive attitude at a time like this.

His round eyes stared at her in concern. Lee received an invitation to the dinner party at the Hyuuga estate and there was no doubt in his mind that Tenten got one as well. That day his white-eyed teammate told them about his engagement squashed any hope for Lee to finally see his two teammates romantically involved. It made sense to him; Tenten was obviously in love with Neji and the only person who seemed to not notice this was Neji himself.

"Are you going to the party?" Lee's thick eyebrows pursed themselves together with a glowing worry.

Her teeth started to grind as she tried to hold back tears.

"I refuse to go to this event knowing that it causes you such heartbreak," said her normally exuberant teammate. "You truly don't deserve to be put through seeing him with another woman."

Tenten bent her head down letting out a nervous laugh. She wished she didn't have to deal with this. It was already hard enough trying to push the images of Neji out of her head. His voice, his eyes, his movement, she remembered everything too well about him. Everything around her reminded her of him, they had trained too long together to not have those kind of memories etched. The pain in her aching heart, she just wanted it to go away.

"You should go."

Tenten and Lee turned their heads in surprise to see Sasuke standing with a towel around his neck. The wet haired ninja glanced over at Tenten's crying eyes as he let out a breath. Perhaps he shouldn't have interjected, but his own feelings took over. Sasuke regretted not staying with Team 7. The day Tsunade assigned him to stay with Tenten was also the day he had to say goodbye to Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi. All those years he spent at the Sound Village when he could have been with his team. Now he could only watch them leave as he stayed back a criminal of Konoha. _I can't let you lament like I have on what could have been, you still have the chance to cherish the memories of your team. _

"Tenten, I.."

"Such worry coming from Uchiha, you are truly a man who has come back from the depths of evil!" Lee's eyes widened with tears as his arm rose to wipe them.

Sasuke stared at Lee with a great amount of annoyance. He was the same as ever, that Rock Lee, always getting overemotional over small things. However, he understood that Lee was only worried about the living conditions that Tenten now faced. Good thing Lee seemed to approve, the last thing Sasuke needed was the giant green beast hovering over him like a buzzing wasp.

Tenten was confused. Maybe it was Sasuke's reaction to what was said or Lee's statement itself that sent her in the dumbfounded position she was in. Slowly a smile started appearing on her face, her hand starting to cover up the giggle her throat pushed out. Soon a full-blown laughter formed as tears of joy streamed down her face. She took a deep breath as she watched the two men before her stare at her with a perturbed expression.

"I'm going to get some stuff ready for tomorrow, I'll be back soon," said Tenten. _Thank you Lee, Sasuke. _She smiled and headed towards her room.

They watched her leave and were only left with the uncomfortable silence between themselves. It had been awhile since they had talked each other, the last time was that faithful day Sasuke defeated the three Sound ninjas that knocked Lee unconscious. Lee gave out an awkward cough as he spoke.

"I ask of you this, Sasuke Uchiha, please watch over the flower of Team Gai when Gai-sensei and I cannot. The pain she has been through is something she does not deserve, it is not fair for her to not receive something when she has given so much. Her youth should not be used up in unhappiness."

There was a soft sadness to his tone to the point where Sasuke thought he couldn't recognize the person before him as Rock Lee, the determined green clad taijitsu user who frequently made long irritating speeches with his even more annoying teacher.

"At first, I was hesitant upon hearing about you living with Tenten. However, I see now that my worries are not needed. I do not know what you know about Tenten but I see you do care about her and that is all I need."

Sasuke nodded as Rock Lee bowed before exiting the apartment. Deciding to check up on Tenten, Sasuke quickly threw off his shoulder towel in his laundry hamper. Approaching her opened door, he saw Tenten spreading out several kimonos on her bed.

"Well, I have no clue what to wear," Tenten laughed nervously.

"It doesn't matter, just go to be with your teammates again," said Sasuke as he averted his gaze toward the corner of her ceiling.

"Do you miss them….Sakura and Naruto?"

Sasuke gave a stiff grin, his eyes closed and one arm scratching the back of his head.

"My regret about leaving comes from knowing that I would have been happier. Tenten, I no longer have the opportunity to have that many more memories with them. This is something that I took away from myself through a selfish decision that I made because of my own immaturity." Sasuke glanced over to Tenten as she bit her lower lip. "I cherish the times I had with them though. Just, don't be like me and walk away."

_He's right._ Tenten knew if she didn't attend that she would regret not getting the chance to talk to the Neji she knew as her training partner. Maybe she could talk to him alone one last time before he went off to become a married man, before more awkward situations brought a bigger rift between them. If she just lived in the fear of inevitably losing him, then she would continue to hinder herself from remembering how truly happy she was being around him. That last chance to talk to him, maybe it would satisfy her to finally move on, seal the deal on the chapter of her life that she dedicated to Hyuuga Neji. She stared at Sasuke with thankful eyes as she smoothed out the kimono in front of her.

There was nothing said, just the quiet air between them. It wasn't like the one Sasuke had with Lee, this silence was more warm, welcoming, an acknowledgement between two friends who embraced each part of their friendship. Tenten secretly thought it felt good to have someone other than Neji and Lee around her. As much as she loved the both of them, it was hard to get anything through. Lee was always too overemotional with himself and Neji always seemed too cold to care. Though Sasuke seemed to be in the same league as Neji, living with him made things surprisingly tangible. He never really talked much but when he did, there was a lesson learned, something he really left her with.

Sasuke watched her fold and unfold multiple kimonos and sashes. Her presence was something he had grown fond of. Without a single friend outside of Tenten, and possibly Lee, Sasuke truly was alone now. He missed Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi furiously, but obviously couldn't do anything about that. He missed the old days of Naruto's clumsiness and Sakura's outbursts but it became clear to him when he went back to Konoha with them that they could never go back to what they were. They had all grown, Naruto still loved him like a brother and Sakura still cared for him deeply and the feelings that Sasuke had for them were the same. However as important figures and strong Jonins of Konoha, Tsunade-sama generally put them through a lot of important missions, which Sasuke knew would limit spending time with them.

Then there was Tenten.

Forced into working with him as her mission. Sasuke felt it was ludicrous at Tsunade-sama's first mention of it, but the first day he spent with Tenten made him realize that it wasn't so bad. Genuinely warm, caring, and quite the kunoichi, Sasuke admired her for her proficiency with weapons. It was in a sense, the same way he secretly admired Rock Lee when he first fought him. Sasuke being a genius at such a young age had almost everything handed to him. With people like Tenten and Rock Lee, good old fashion hard work allowed them to prevail at what they did. Especially training with Hyuuga Neji like she did back then, with his opinions about fate. Sasuke wondered how Tenten must have felt, if she believed that she was fated to lose to Hyuuga all those times.

_Does she believe she was fated to lose Hyuuga?_

"I kind of thought that would be the case," replied Tenten solemnly.

Sasuke mentally hit himself for speaking his thoughts aloud. He hadn't meant to cause such discomfort towards Tenten.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said something at this time," said Sasuke regretfully.

Tenten smiled back at him. "It's really no problem Sasuke, I was kind of thinking that myself. Truth is, Neji has always been a dutiful kind of person. Very dedicated to his clan even though he hated being a Branch member and all, but Hiashi changed it all after deciding he didn't want Hinata or Hanabi to lead the clan. I'm happy for him though, he finally got what he wanted, what he's always wanted."

Sasuke noted the sadness her voice held when she said the very last sentence. She had given Hyuuga her world and he left her after he got what he wanted. As bitterly as he wished he wasn't, he could mildly see himself in Hyuuga, his teammates giving him everything and all he could do was scoff at them and leave. Keeping Lee's words in his mind, the silent promise he kept.

He held his hand at the side of the door, his eyes locked on Tenten's. "You deserve someone who will give you their world. A person like you shouldn't continue to watch the night sky and always feel small." With that said, Sasuke walked out of Tenten's room.

Once again Sasuke had left her breathless. She had always thought that Neji reminded her of the night sky, his dark hair the sky and his eyes like the white stars. Whenever she was around him she always felt tiny in comparison to his gigantic presence. Tenten always tried keeping her confidence up though. Always repeating in her head that kunoichi were just as good as shinobi, always practicing her weapons, always telling herself that it would be worth it but was it really? She was no match for Lee's speed or Neji's Byakugan, 100 percent accuracy meant nothing if she couldn't even hit them.

_Was all my training a big waste of time? _

She berated herself for even thinking that. _No, none of this was a waste of time. I may not be able to hit Lee or Neji, but I sure can hit other things. _Tenten looked outside her door at the direction Sasuke walked.

_Sasuke, I won't let myself think I can't aim for the stars. From now on, I'm going to hit every one of them._

Tenten opened the window and stared up at the blazing sun and smiled, not feeling the dragging heat. A new uplifting feeling had entered her heart.

Laying his back on his bed with his eyes closed, he felt nothing but the aching in his chest. The madness he had felt surging since the days he trained in the forbidden arts still lingered, tempting him to go back to what he once was. Though he was used to the sporadic feeling, he still wished everyday that somehow the darkness trying to surround him would go away. He was nothing but a monster. Opening his eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling, he could only feel disgust surrounding him.

**Author's Note**: Ok, the plan is to have Neji in the next chapter. (crosses fingers) Hopefully I've done a good job and set up the characters well. As far as Sasuke being nice, yeah it is kind of odd, I'm hoping it's not OOC as I tried channeling this from the early episodes when Sasuke gradually started being nicer to Sakura and Naruto. Yeah, I hope you like my chapter, and please review and critique as much as you like.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer **I don't own Naruto!

She looped a purple ribbon to the left side of her bun. Making sure both sides were balanced out, Tenten drew a breath. Time seemed to move by quickly for the deeply anticipated Hyuuga dinner party. Her heartbeats ringing in her head, arms shakey and perspiration sprouting from her forehead, Tenten's nervousness seemed to get the best of her. Running her fingers lightly over her bangs for the last time, she rose up.

Sasuke chomped on a giant red tomato. Actually he had chomped on many giant red tomatoes. Tenten had gone food shopping that morning upon finding out his favorite food. Unfortunately since she decided to attend the dinner party, it meant Tenten couldn't make dinner for him. While a genius ninja, Sasuke was totally inept when it came to the science of cooking. Last thing he wanted to do was blow up Tenten's kitchen.

He couldn't help but feel that he might have told her incorrect advice. Was it really fair to push his feelings for his own team unto her? There was a difference in the relationships. Tenten was truly in love with Hyuuga and the bare thought of having lost him etched a deep sadness in the normally cheerful girl. It was something that Sasuke didn't really understand. While Sakura did hold a crush on him when he was younger, he genuinely didn't feel anything back due to his ambitions back then. As much as Sakura still cared for him, she didn't hold the same feelings she had for him after all those years. Aside from that, there was no other girl that genuinely had any sort of closeness to him during the genin times.

_The feelings that Tenten has for Hyuuga are different though._

_I love him, but I love him enough to finally let him go. _Tenten repeated these words in her head over and over. Grasping the leg of her kimono with her fidgeting fingers, she found it difficult not to calm down. As she spotted Sasuke in the kitchen, she quickly decided to approach him.

Sasuke glanced at Tenten. Her exasperated face alone told him that his advice might have been misguided.

_Maybe I should tell her not to go._

"You look scared," stated Sasuke. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

She could feel the heat reach her cheeks. As if waking up that morning alone didn't make her already want to hide under her bed sheets. Now Sasuke reiterated what was already screaming in her mind.

"If this is the last time I can really say goodbye to Neji, then I should go. I know I'd regret not doing it."

Sasuke lowered his gaze. _She would have gone regardless if I told her not to. _Tenten cared too deeply for Hyuuga to do something that would worry him.

"Looks like I have to buy more tomatoes, you ate over half them already," gaped Tenten.

Looking in his hand at the bitten tomato, Sasuke felt a little bit of embarrassment.

"Anyways, Lee and Gai are waiting for me." Tenten giggled and walked out of the kitchen.

He knew she would be fine. After all, Lee and Gai were going to be there as well. They would make sure Tenten was well taken care of.

Still… 

All she could see were gold and green. In fact, it was too much and it scared her almost as much as the prospect of talking to Neji. Gai and Lee wore identical kimonos in the color of green with bright golden lion beasts embroidered on the backs; the only thing that was modest about their ensemble was the black sash. The fact that the lion beasts seemed to ogle their extra large pupil-less eyes at Tenten made her realize to her horror that the kimonos were custom made to look like her teacher and teammate. For a minute, Tenten felt sorry for the seamstress who had to make the outfits. While they proudly strut their stuff, conversation was kept to a minimum for obvious reasons. As they arrived, they all fell in shock. It wasn't as if they hadn't seen the Hyuuga estate ever, but everything was so outrageously fancy that it seemed very unlike the clan home.

The other guests were dressed in many expensive things ranging from their kimonos to jewelry. Tenten couldn't help but feel alienated from everything, as she had opted for a plain purple kimono and pink sash. It wasn't that she lacked the ability to be feminine, rather the belief that Tenten shouldn't outdo the future wife, as it was her day to celebrate. As her head continued to spin around looking at all sorts of new faces, a familiar one finally popped up.

"Hinata! It's good to see someone I know." Tenten sighed with relief.

"It has been awhile since we have talked, I hope that you have been well."

While there was a weight lifted off her shoulder for no longer having to be the heir to being the leader of the clan, it placed Tenten with an unfortunate burden as Neji became very in tune to clan politics. As Hinata grew older, she started to grow closer and closer to the reason why she would ever want to become clan leader. The final conclusion lead her to finally getting everyone to recognize her as someone capable of bringing honor to the Hyuuga name. However, upon doing so, she realized that she didn't want to go in the direction of clan politics. It made sense for her to finally tell her father that she didn't wish to become his heir anymore. Oddly enough, Hanabi later on took the courage to do the same. However happy she was finally, today would be a sad one for the kunoichi in front of her.

_Tenten, please don't put yourself through this._

Hinata led Gai, Lee and Tenten to the dining room. If the event wasn't already fancy enough, the dining room was head achingly extravagant. Tenten almost couldn't recognize the place with all the brightly colored flowers and ribbons surrounding the room. Boisterous laughter rang throughout as sake flowed like water in a river. Family members and friends mutually conversed about the event, their material items and random topics amidst some drunken slurs. It scared Tenten to no end that the normally quiet stoic Hyuugas had their house turned into a party machine.

Then she saw him.

His tall regal form dressed in black, hair pulled back with a white headband covering his forehead. As usual, he was breathtakingly handsome. With guests to the left and right of him, Tenten ultimately decided that maybe now wasn't the time to attempt an approach.

Lee watched her in worry. Tenten easily admitted waves of hesitation from her form. He already had half the mind to drag her out of the estate so she could avoid what seemed to be the inevitable. However, Gai-sensei had already told him before that they could only be the shoulders she could cry on because she was a bloomed lotus now; she could make decisions on her own.

_The Lotus blooms twice._

Claustrophobia, that's what she was feeling, too many people, too little space and Tenten wanted to get out. She tapped Lee on the shoulder gesturing that she was exiting the room for a bit. He nodded back as she left.

White-eyes followed her out of the room. Hyuuga Neji had seen her leave and he was ultimately not surprised. Tenten had never been one to enjoy such uncomfortable settings. In fact, he didn't either but under his fiancée and her family's insistence, a big celebration was to be held.

He had overheard that Uchiha Sasuke had been living with Tenten as a mission assigned from Tsunade-sama. Neji didn't care about them living together because it was a mission and missions needed to be carried out.

_Tenten is perfectly capable of taking care of herself. _

While Neji had no feelings for his fiancée Miriko, he understood that his position as the clan heir and her position as the heiress of another powerful ninja clan matched well politically. She was beautiful, that Miriko, always had suitors left and right of her before their guardians arranged them to be together. Neji had barely talked to her, only occasionally conversing wedding plans. He watched her gracefully chat with the many guests at their party; seemingly jovial at the attention she was receiving. Neji hated the loudness that newly pushed itself to his home, but it was the constant reminder that this union would better both clans.

He missed Tenten's presence. She had always been by his side since the very beginning and he silently thanked her for that. Neji would probably never admit it, but she was one of the only people that he trusted enough to block his weak spot. Training with Hiashi, the missions, and the upcoming wedding made Neji all but forget his teammates. Thankfully, Tenten had always been a very supportive person and seemed rather joyful at the prospect of him getting married.

Before drinking his water, Lee double-checked to see if it was actually sake. Obviously the green clad ninja didn't want to ruin his teammate's party so careful measures had to be taken! He glanced up at Gai who seemed to be preoccupied with something.

"Gai-sensei, what is in your thoughts?"

Gai peered at his number one pupil as he exaggeratingly extended his arm, pointing at Neji leaving the room.

"Lee, we must ready ourselves to heal our flower."

Lee nodded as he took another sip of his water.

She watched the starry night reveling in the peace that the party disturbed. The dim lights glazed the flowers in the Hyuuga garden. There was no opportunity to be alone with the man she loved; no way she could truly close that piece of her life she longed to put away. She missed him dearly, so used to being close to his strong figure. Tenten used to know what to say to him, but looking at him today, it was like noticing a stranger in the crowd. Seeing him chat with his guests like a socialite seemed foreign to her, as she remembered the stoic, untouchable man of her past.

White-eyes watched her admiring the sky. It was as if her presence gave him a breath of fresh air with all that clouded his mind. He had always confided in her and she had always accepted him without any thought. With his past riddled with people wanting to associate him with his name and his father's death, it was hard for anyone to truly see him. No matter how rigorous the training, no matter how tough the situation, Tenten stayed in place, refusing to budge. He continued to gaze at her back silently until her form turned and their eyes met.

Tenten was shocked to have her eyes meet what she longed to be near. Having no idea at how long he had been there, she could feel glad that he was around her once again.

The ethereal glow that surrounded both of them was left watched by eyes standing beside a tall tree. It was as if the silence echoed the words that needed to be said but the two stood oblivious to everything else except for one another. The spotlight was placed on the both of them as the shining stars begged for one of them to speak. It seemed forever had passed for them in reality's short time.

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself," his baritone voice rumbled. It was easy for him to be blunt with her, an aspect that she accepted without complaint.

His words caressed her senses. She had missed his beautiful voice, even if what he said wasn't very welcoming, it was Neji, the Neji she loved. Breaking into a soft smile, she regained her composure.

"I'm not into big parties. You know me Neji, I prefer just staying at home or training."

"Yes, Miriko insisted that we had a big celebration before the actual wedding as a way for both sides to know each other more."

He seemed tired to her. She noticed the haggard appearance under his eyelids, as his voice seemed somewhat strained. It seemed almost impossible for Neji to get this tired, but somehow it seemed the pressures of this wedding was getting to him.

"Neji… Maybe you should get some rest, it is pretty late and you look exhausted," worried Tenten.

He hated that she cared for him the way she did. It was true he was tired and probably forming a headache from having to meander from guest to guest with drunkards yelling in the background. However, the person before him was one of the only people he could truly trust and talk to. The people in the party were empty to him, only looking at him because of his clan. Untrustworthy people in the eyes of the Byakugan male, were not worth his time.

"No Tenten, don't worry about me. Just…" Neji's head turned as he heard a loud crack coming from the trees. He quickly ran and jumped on the wall.

_An intruder! I have to go help Neji._ Tenten followed suit as she took out two kunais she hid in her sash.

Activating Byakugan, chakra coils in the form of a man appeared before Neji. He sped up, tackling the mysterious intruder. The opponent kicked Neji off of him as he scrambled to get up. Neji quickly pushed him down again but suddenly became shocked at a peculiar energy that started to quickly form in front of him. His eye wide like tea saucers, Neji was hit with a sense of de ja vu.

Tenten saw Neji attacking the interferer and shocked to see the surprised stance he held. An odd glow came from the dark form, the feeling of chakra going haywire.

_It can't be…_

The one thing she feared that would happen that she couldn't change.

Sasuke… 

The neck bite he got years ago.

_No…_

She ran to him, grabbing his shoulders, shaking him. Desperation in her eyes, she could only express fear, as the person in front of her wasn't the man that had been so gentle with her previously.

Sasuke had been careless and it hurt him. In his own trouble trying to get away from Hyuuga, he made the hasty decision to try and use chakra, hoping his seal wouldn't activate. Now, the rushed feeling of power, an old feeling of dark desire drowned him as he felt rage overcome him. He stared at the woman before him, her words silent to his ears.

_Tenten…_

There was a halt. Something absorbing his energy away, and all of a sudden Sasuke felt weak. His eyes slowly drooped while his limbs grew limp. Sasuke struggled to lift his hand to Tenten's arm before falling forward to a deep sleep.

She was taken aback at Sasuke's tired body falling towards her. Luckily, she was able to brace herself in time for the impact. Holding him steady, she kneeled down placing Sasuke's head on her lap. Tilting his body to the side, Tenten examined the side of his neck adorned with his cursed seal. Surrounding it was another design.

_Tsunade's seal! It must have countered Orochimaru's. Thank you Tsunade, you just saved Sasuke._

Neji glanced uncomfortably at them. Everything happened so quickly only to end with Sasuke blacking out. Something came over him, a feeling of contempt for the last Uchiha and another wanting to hate Tenten. He watched with narrowed eyes as Tenten lifted a now very groggy Sasuke up with one of his arms over her shoulder.

"Neji, I'm sorry, but I have to take care of Sasuke. Please don't be angry with him for what he did."

She saw him nod slightly as she walked away with Sasuke. He was heavy, that was for sure, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle. She looked at him as his half lit eyes stared at the ground. Deciding to talk about the events that just happened tomorrow, she headed towards the direction to her home.

Had she decided to look back at the man she left behind, she would have seen white fire blazing her way.

**Author's Note**: I guess I kind of threw a curveball since Tenten didn't run out crying over Neji or anything. I am very very very happy with the reviews I'm getting. Also, I'm hoping everyone's satisfied with Neji being in this chapter. I totally feel that he's the kind of person who would put the honor of his family (specifically his father) before himself. The tomatoes part…well Sasuke is a hungry man! Much love to everyone for supporting my fic.


	5. Chapter 4

Taking a wet towel, she wiped the perspiration from his forehead. He watched her with dark rings under his eyelids, forehead warmer than a kettle on a stove, and heaving breath as if he had just burst out from almost drowning. It had only been a day since Sasuke decided to follow Tenten to the Hyuuga engagement party. His key intention was to watch after her and in case she got hurt, he would help her escape rather than letting her dwell in the Hyuuga mansion. In his own carelessness, he had slipped his footing on the branch he used for leverage causing Hyuuga Neji's attention to be diverted to someone else other than Tenten. His second mistake came from using a heavy dosage of chakra to get away from Hyuuga and activating his cursed seal in the process.

Staring at Tenten, he wondered if he struck out.

By completely ruining one of the rare times Tenten could ever spent with Hyuuga, Sasuke wondered if the girl in front of him held any ill will against him. By no means was she weak as she managed to drag his body back to her apartment, but did his interruption leave an unsatisfied goal?

"Are you angry Tenten?"

Her eyes grew wide at his question. "Why would I be?"

He was delirious, and he was obviously delusional as well. Tenten gave a small smile as thought back to the day before. Remembering the feeling of finally being alone with Neji gave her goosebumps. Their time alone was brief, but the fact that he paid attention to her for that time was sufficient enough to make Tenten happy. Right now, her concern had to be placed on the feverish figure in her guest bed. Perhaps she should have been upset with Sasuke, but she couldn't. The dark haired man had watched over her with concern and as a result, got chased after by Neji. She watched Sasuke slowly close his eyes into a deep sleep.

How could she get mad at a person who only worried for her?

She took her hand to his forehead. Sighing, she rose up. His body was stressed due to his cursed seal activating. Sasuke had explained to her everything when she carried him back to her place.

"Back when I used to train with Orochimaru, I embraced my cursed seal as a way to elevate my strength. Even though I left that life, the seal stays with me."

Tenten grabbed her keys as she headed out the door.

"_Every time the seal activates, now that I'm not what I used to be, it strains my body."_

She locked her door.

"_This is my burden, I don't want any intervention, let me deal with this alone."_

Lowering her head, back against the door, she slowly slid down. Hot tears flowed from her face, as she couldn't stop thinking about the words of yesterday.

He could only think about what happened that night. Something bothered him; a part of him ached when he thoughts ventured to the eventual conclusion. It shouldn't be so important to him; he had much to do and a wedding to think about.

_He could only watch as she desperately cried another man's name in worry._

It did upset him that his time to talk to Tenten was cut short. Though the brief time he spent with her still seemed surreal in his mind, for once since his engagement happened, there was a feeling of normality that he missed.

_A strong urge to say everything that was on his mind, to only to be stopped by an interruption._

What possessed him to stand in front of her apartment complex vexed him. Had he really decided to come all the way to her place, without any idea on what to talk about? It had hit him that for the first time in their friendship, a rift had formed between them. His life was far from charmed, but somehow his own Cinderella story came true in the end. Finally, after proving himself over and over, he was truly looked upon as an equal to the Main members. To become the future leader for being born a Branch member was no ordinary feat, Neji had the help of many friends on the way.

_You have been the one there for me._

He truly felt apart from her. Tenten, the girl who had always been there for him as his teammate and his best friend, acted as if nothing was wrong during the talk in the garden. Obviously he knew something was wrong, they had trained for so long that nary a lie could slip behind him.

_I can't lie to myself either._

Hyuuga Neji couldn't lie to himself either and say he wanted this to happen between them. Team Gai had always been the only constant in his life. Lee and Gai being the constant annoyances in his life while Tenten was the solid rock that supported everything he did. These past few months were already a rush and if there was any time for a heavy object to anchor him down, it was now.

_In a crowd of people, I set you apart._

_Will you stay by my side?_

_Will you help me move forward?_

She sat on the steps pondering what to do. Tsunade was expecting a report on her mission sometime soon and Tenten didn't know how to explain to her idol about what happened.

_Or what Sasuke said to me_.

Tenten was a kunoichi, and expected to treat a mission as a mission. Her blossoming friendship with Sasuke made it hard for her to want to treat him as one.

_My mission, or the trust of my friend…_

Rocking herself back and forth, her hands wrapped around her knees, Tenten sighed. She rose up, deciding to check up on her sick friend. As she turned the doorknob, the shuffling of sandals caught her ear. Turning around, she stared face to face with the man that she left behind.

"Neji," she gasped in surprise. "What brings you to my area?"

He stood there quietly staring at her. From the looks of things, it seemed that she had been upset about something.

_If Uchiha hurt her, he'll have to face me._

Neji inwardly scowled at the thought. Tenten was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. It was a mission, something she had to do because of what Tsunade-sama assigned.

"I wanted to talk about last night," he replied back. "There's something that I want to ask you."

He stood there in front of her, a handsome statuesque perfection. It was back to those old feelings she wanted to throw away, his voice, his eyes, everything about him. How Neji transitioned from being just a teammate to the man she had heavy feelings for, she would never know.

_Will I ever let him go?_

"I want you to help with the wedding."

Tenten lost her breath.

_Being around Neji, his fiancée, I don't know if I could do that._

He could already feel her say no to his request. Disappointment set in him as he awaited her answer. It wasn't as if he didn't expect it, she had that mission to take care of Uchiha. Especially with after what happened yesterday, Neji wasn't expecting Tenten to be in the happiest thoughts. Still against his own judgment, he wanted to talk to her.

"Neji… I'll do it."

A shock rounded his eyes as he stared at her surprised at her response. Quickly going back to his normally stoic appearance, he nodded his head in reply. Inwardly, faint warmth filled his body as if someone had injected him with a drug. Her words of agreement alone put a strong sense of stability back into him.

"However, I do still have to think about my mission."

Neji nodded in agreement. "Have you reported what happened yesterday to Tsunade-sama?"

_I don't know if I want to._

"I was going to do that sometime this afternoon."

Tenten could feel him glaring at her for lying to him.

He felt like he was about to boil over. First yesterday, she acted as if nothing was wrong and now she was trying to lie to him? Had things really fallen apart between the both of them? Neji closed his eyes and sighed as he glanced over again at his teammate. There was no doubt she was worried over that traitor of Konoha. The way she said his name when he was about to lose control. Even though he knew she was scared, she pushed those feelings aside and stood in front of Uchiha like she had nothing to lose.

_The way she treats every mission._

It wasn't because she had arrogance like he did back then nor was she as passionate as Lee. With all that, Neji still admired his teammate greatly. Tenten had a quiet confidence that never wavered when she had an important mission to do. She had stated once to him back when they used to train his Kaiten on their gravel practice ground that she felt kunoichis could be up to par with shinobis. With Konoha's ratio, very few females stood out in the male dominated occupation.

_She's proven to me that she is just as good._

This was the first time he had seen her this way, emotionally vulnerable during a mission. Neji couldn't lie to himself when the thought of her acting that way irritated him. She wasn't one of those irritating women who fell over at one look from a handsome man. No doubt she forged a friendship with the man, enough for her to show sympathy. Obviously she was better than that and of all people to direct kindness to, Uchiha didn't deserve any. He was a traitor of Konoha, and Tenten had the unfortunate task of having to guard him.

_Uchiha should be nothing but a mission._

"Tenten, if you don't carry a report over to Tsunade-sama. Then there's no way you can carry out this mission."

She knew he was right. Regardless on how she felt about Sasuke, in the end Tsunade gave her a mission.

_Why am I holding back then?_

Tenten felt heaviness in her heart as she realized what was bothering her.

_Sasuke isn't a monster._

It was getting to her. The looks that Sasuke got everyday everywhere they walked. Her biggest fear finally realized.

_I don't want to treat him like everyone else does._

"Don't worry about okay Neji? I'll handle this, you know I can."

Neji stared at her intently. He had never doubted her before, but something was different about this. Neji wasn't blind to the fact that Tenten obviously cared about Uchiha. The fact that she had to leave his engagement party because of him upset the Byakugan user a great deal. He needed to put her back into perspective.

Her breathing was nonexistent with the way he was staring at her. Tenten noted that in the time that they talked, he was only a few inches away from her. His serious gaze watching down on her as hearts beat like a hummingbird's wings. She could smell the soft scent of juniper wafting as he curled his fingers on the side of her bangs. Like the time in the Hyuuga Garden, they were once again sucked into their own world.

"Tenten, I'm asking you one last time, report this to Tsunade-sama."

_I don't know if I can._

"That's really none of your business Hyuuga."

Tenten quickly jerked her head over to see Sasuke leaning on the side of the now opened door. The dark eyed man glared daggers at Neji with the light-eyed man glared back. Even though the longhaired man towered in height, both held intimidating stances. Tenten immediately felt the angry tension between the two men as she slowly moved her eyes back and forth between them. Finally settling her gaze at the Sharingan user, she noted that he had been awake for quite some time. While it seemed that Sasuke probably felt better, his forehead still held some sweat and his breathing still harsh. She approached him, taking her hand up to his head.

"Sasuke! You should get back to bed, you still have a fever."

As the short haired man was about to retort, his bun wearing roommate started pushing him back inside the apartment. A bit flabbergasted and still very tired, he decided to avoid any argument with her. He didn't like the fact that he did what he did, but Hyuuga shouldn't have tried to interfere in things that didn't involve him.

"Hnh." Neji didn't make it hard for anyone to read that he was once again annoyed with Uchiha. Maybe it was the fact that Sasuke had a knack for interrupting that royally ticked him off but something in him snapped. It was as if he had no control over the emotions pouring into him. All in a flash, he lunged forward, Tenten facing him again with shocked eyes.

"Listen to what I said."

The sternness in his voice, she hadn't heard him use that tone since the days he hated the main branch of the Hyuuga family. She watched him walk away. Lightly touching the shoulder that Neji used to turn her around, Tenten walked into her apartment and closed her door.

_What was that?_

He stared at his red-faced friend. Maybe Hyuuga didn't realize her feelings or was too ignorant to know his own, but Sasuke knew well enough that Tenten was in a precarious position. Yes, he had listened to most of their conversation and it angered him to know that Hyuuga was such a meddler. However, he did have to agree with him on some points.

"He's right you know, you should tell Tsunade-sama."

He held his hand up to stop her from replying.

"I do consider you a friend, but I am also your mission too. I know I told you that this was my burden alone and that's still true. Tsunade-sama knew this risk as well but still kept me alive."

Sasuke watched Tenten relax at his explanation.

"Report this to her, I won't be angry or anything. Even if she decides to do anything, it won't change what's going inside of me."

Tenten looked away from him saddened at Sasuke's predicament. Of course, she still had to respect what he wanted; only he knew what to do for him. Though, Tenten knew if the time came, she would want to be there by his side fighting with him.

_Fighting together like teammates should._

She looked back at Sasuke. His dark messy hair and bedroom eyes staring back at her, Tenten felt a small blush creep up to her face. This was definitely not the time to be a raving Sasuke fan girl. Tenten was thankful for him though; he was truly a man of understanding.

"Okay, I'll tell Tsunade-sama about what happened yesterday."

Her large brown eyes started to gleam.

"Now, get back to bed!"

Sasuke grinned in amusement as Tenten pushed him into his room.

_These are the times that I truly value. The carefree times that should have been my childhood, robbed by a blood thirst that has carried me to my adulthood. It's still in me, this aching to release me from my pain._

_Let me feel this peace, let me have my sanctuary._

She tossed the small stack of papers on the table. It was as she expected, the cursed seal activated. Tsunade closed her eyes and sighed. There was no way she could regret placing Sasuke under Tenten's care, if there was any person capable enough, it was she. There was a reason why she was placed under Gai, the girl who simply showed passion in her goals and the people she loved.

_Passion is a blinding light._

The reality was, Tsunade couldn't remove the cursed seal. Orochimaru made things too difficult to the point where operating on Sasuke would be nearly fatal. She knew she wasn't being fair to Tenten. The chance of losing Sasuke, regardless in any situation, was high. If she knew Tenten, if Tenten showed the same dedication to Sasuke as she had Neji, then it was inevitable that there was closeness.

_The light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how much you follow, you can't clearly see what is there._

Neji sat on the steps of the Hyuuga Garden, his body seething in heavy warmth. Staring at the lushness, he could only think about the time alone he spent with his female teammate. Feeling guilt for leaving her in such a huff, he berated himself to never do that again. Knowing that he didn't want to feel that separation again, Neji stood up.

Back when he was younger, he felt fate dictated everything: his strength, his pain, his sorrow and lastly his revelation. Upon finding out what his father really died for, and what Naruto was willing to do to screw fate, Neji found something in himself over the years.

_If fate wants to try and take those who I care about away from me…_

_Then…_

_I will fight fate._

**Author's Note**: I think in Ch.3, some people got confused. Neji was jealous as stated on the very last line regarding a white fire blazing or whatever I wrote. Anyways, I decided to check out that Naruto Databook chart featuring people's personalities. With Tenten, she was placed more on the passionate side of the field but not as high as Gai or Lee obviously. I think it's very true with the statement that "passion is a blinding light" in regards to Team Gai. (ie the fight with Gaara, the everlasting youth!) There does seem to be a great deal of emphasis on Neji and Tenten being apart. My reasoning for this is that there is a period of time for everyone in his or her lives where everything changes and things become different. I think it isn't uncommon that people find new people and jealousy CAN occur. I try to be sympathetic to all the characters. Neji and his dedication to family order while not necessarily doing what he wants in his heart, Tenten with her holding back on what she wants, and Sasuke with his past problems catching up to him. BLAH BLAH BLAH with my explanations, I'm rambling too much. Read and Review, critique me all you want, I love to hear what you guys have to say.


	6. Chapter 5

Hustling and bustling accompanied the decorations that were going underway on the Konoha Chapel. Weaves of expensive silks and ribbons of gold waved back and forth as planners decided where to put what. Those who passed by stood in awe before leaving the vicinity. Everyone who was helping with the wedding seemed to be on a state of alert. Everyone, except a pale-eyed beauty who stood in the middle observing everything with her bright orbs as she placed elegant flowers in a large gold trimmed vase.

He had a genuine smile for the first time in awhile. The man who became her brother figure seemed happy despite his consistent stoic demeanor. He used to be like ice, Neji did, especially throughout his wedding plans. However, there was one person who he always felt comfort with, one who Hinata truly saw he had a deep bond with. Though they barely spoke, Tenten's presence was enough to satisfy Neji and it showed. Hinata never thought that her cousin could be so oblivious to his own feelings, perhaps too immersed with clan politics. She couldn't imagine the aspect of marrying someone who she didn't love.

_N-naruto…_

Through the years, she lost her stutter, she gained more confidence, and finally became the woman that her father could finally was worthy to bear the Hyuuga name. However, there was always one man who made her fall back into her timid state, the person who she wanted to confess her love to.

_If only I could…_

Hinata had wanted to confess her love to him so many times, but it all ended the same. Never did she know a person who bore so much genuine emotion in their eyes like his large ocean blues did. His determination combined with his powerful words of encouragement became her source to accomplish what she wanted to be. Even during the early academy days, when he couldn't duplicate properly, he stuck his head up high.

_You taught me strength…_

If it wasn't for him, she may have never learned so much. A man who didn't believe that fate was written down. He was the person who loudly yelled at her to not quit in her match against an emotionally abusive Neji.

_You gave me courage…_

Whenever she trained, she thought of him smiling at her, telling her to keep going. Hinata had so much to thank him for; so much she wanted to give like he had given her. Knowing the man that he was though, Naruto probably didn't even realize the impact he had in her life.

_You set me free…_

That's why she loved him. The way he could change a person's life without realizing he actually did something. It was the mark of a truehearted person. He may have not been the most intelligent person, but he changed more lives than any genius ever could. If she could only put those thoughts into clear words, then maybe Hinata could finally tell him the words she wanted to say for so many years.

_I love you Naruto._

She watched Tenten pin long sleeves of fabric at the top corners of the main chapel room. Initially when Neji told her that his teammate was going to come help, Hinata was shocked. Eventually, after thinking through what it would have been like to take up Tenten's role, Hinata came up to the conclusion that she would have done the same for Naruto. To spend those last times with the one you truly love, a bittersweet conclusion on what could have been.

_When he comes back, I'll tell him._

To say that Neji's fiancé wasn't a spoiled brat was like saying Rock Lee was lazy. Hinata turned her head to her red headed future cousin in law. Obviously for her, she always kept a quiet position on things but her high stressed sister was the opposite. It was as Hanabi put it, Miriko was dumb, bratty, gold digger. Somehow, someway, Miriko avoided the phase of life called adulthood. Even though they weren't married yet, Miriko seemed to enjoy bugging Neji just to see if he could show anything other than an emotionless stare. The future husband and wife could be seen walking circles at the chapel. Miriko dragging Neji's arm, pointing at the details that she didn't want. Hinata sighed.

_Neji-nii-san, you have gone back to being caged again._

"I don't want this here Neji-kun! Tell your servants to rearrange this! Blah blah blah blah…"

He was trying to completely tune her out. Once in awhile it would work, but then her voice would ring back into his ear full force. It was as if she reverberated around the walls like a slapped ping-pong ball. Neji, at this point, would have given anything to be somewhere other than here. Heck, he would have even taken a mission with Gai and Lee, wearing green spandex and everything. Then he remembered. Facing her direction, he saw his reason to smile.

Tenten tensed up at the sound of Miriko yelling at everyone. She had heard that the woman wanted a perfect wedding but the girl seemed to be going too far with this.

_Maybe I should have thought this over…_

Poor Neji as well, Tenten had never seen a girl drag him like her. She giggled a bit; maybe she was a bit too amused. Never did she imagine her teammate ending up with a loud popular socialite. Of course, life throws curveballs right? Lowering herself down the ladder, she wiped the sweat off her forehead and turned to his familiar face. She stared at him, intrigued.

Hinata watched them with deep regret in her pale eyes. She remembered she could feel as if Tenten's heart broke at the party they had several weeks ago. Through the midst of people, the drunkenness, Tenten probably felt invisible to Neji much like Hinata did when she was younger. If only her cousin could notice.

_The one he was staring at was the one he truly loved._

One hard tug broke his concentration. Once again he was staring at the bright red hair of his fiancé. From looking at the warming glance of his teammate to the death glare of his future wife, things definitely weren't looking up. Of course, Neji just kept his cool while berating himself. Obviously very peeved, she glided in a huff, the trail of layer kimonos following her. Neji rubbed his temples, slowly relieving the headache he was given as he pulled up a chair and sat down.

Tenten had seen Miriko storming away with a feeling of relief. Did weddings do that to women or was this girl just inherently like this? Maybe it was best if Tenten never got married. Shaking her head at the thought, she then noted Hinata approaching Neji.

She watched him rise up from his chair and walk away, his back facing her as she grinned lightly. Hinata didn't have to search for her next target with Byakugan as she knew Tenten was staring right at her. She turned, facing her, taking even paces towards Tenten's direction. It was hard to stay calm, she had never done this kind of thing before.

It was strange that Hinata would ask her to grab more fabric when there seemed to be plenty in the main room. Oddly enough, the storage room that Hinata told her to go to didn't have it. Tenten had asked one of the other people around the vicinity if there would be any other area that could have held this, what seemed to be, a much needed thing according to Hinata. Now, she was following those directions hoping it wasn't some sort of wild goose chase.

"This seems to be the room."

Tenten held the doorknob in her grip and she slowly turned and pushed the door open. To her surprise she saw a lady with pins in her mouth as she stood at the foot of Hyuuga Neji.

_A very topless Hyuuga Neji…_

It wasn't like she hadn't seen Neji topless before or anything. As his teammate, she always had to tape his wounds up. (Neji's preference really, he didn't feel secure having Lee or Gai do it.) However, this was a different situation. She hated that she looked at Neji like some sort of eye candy but the light battle scars and his body definition were too hard to ignore. How she didn't ever notice him this way, she didn't know. Perhaps back then she was too worried about the severity of his injuries to really take time to admire his body.

_No wonder he was named Konoha's number one bachelor…_

"Umm…excuse me?"

Reality slapped Tenten in the form of a gaudy dressed, rotund seamstress.

"Are you the assistant that Lady Hinata sent? You're late!"

She raised an eyebrow with her mouth agape in shock. Hinata never told her that! Maybe the lady was mistaken but it obviously didn't matter to her. Tenten felt her hand grabbed by the panicky seamstress as she set three large loads of colored fabrics in her arms. Her brown eyes peeked through the holes of the piled mess as she noted his toned abdominal. Was it right for her mouth to start salivating a bit? Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all. The seamstress pushed his arm over as she inadvertently allowed Tenten to focus on how muscular they had gotten in comparison to their genin days. A heavy blush formed on her face as she closed her eyes feeling guilty for looking at her teammate like a piece of meat.

The seamstress scooted Neji into the dressing room as she took the first two loads off Tenten's arms. As she folded them, a giggle escaped her pursed lips. Tenten stared at her with curiousity, she turned away realizing that the seamstress could probably see the redness on her face due to the bright lighting.

"There's no need to be so embarrassed with looking at such an attractive man. He's your teammate after all, he's probably looked at you the same way before."

It was her turn to laugh. This woman was probably naïve to the fact that Hyuuga Neji was notorious for not giving most people, let alone his fangirls, any sort of attention whatsoever. She remembered in her genin days when Rock Lee egged her on, asking who she believed was the most attractive guy in Konoha. The likely answer from her would have been Neji, but she didn't want to create any sort of awkwardness between them so she went with her second choice, Uchiha Sasuke. Upon arriving to hear what they were talking about, Neji chided Rock Lee for bringing up such a useless discussion.

_Now ironically, I'm living with Sasuke…I wonder how he is…_

Her attention snapped with the appearance of a dark green and gold clad Hyuuga Neji. It wasn't that the outfit was ugly, but it wasn't suited for the white-eyed man. Perhaps it was more suited for Lee or Gai. Then a thought struck Tenten.

_This has got to be the seamstress who made Lee and Gai's matching green and gold kimonos!_

Neji watched Tenten cover her snickering mouth, did he really look that bad? He had to get this seamstress fired. It was enough that she tried suggesting purple to him, but now Tenten was laughing at him.

_Then again…_

It was good to hear her infectious laugh. Her voice always had a very sweet and eager tone to it. While he wouldn't admit it, it was better than the monotonous voices of his clan. He watched the sparkle of amusement in her eyes, the color so common among the populace. Neji occasionally envied eyes like Tenten's. In comparison to his white ones, her bright ones were able to convey so much emotion. There was something so warm and inviting about her. The same look she always gave him whenever they trained together. It didn't matter that she always lost to him; it was all the same to her.

_If only she could always be by my side._

He played those words over and over again in his head.

_Is that why?_

Hesitation entered in his breath.

_Can I really be?_

His eyes lowered as he held himself mentally. A cold tingle shot through his spine as he thought process started clearing.

_What just snapped in me?_

Was he upset that she laughed? Suddenly she felt guilty for what she just did, it wasn't about him, it really wasn't. Tenten cleared her throat as the seamstress examined her efforts.

"Now I did something like this for two former clients, they looked amazing, but I guess green just isn't your color."

_Great, I was right…_

"Now maybe we should try a mauve or maybe a white…"

Tenten watched in disbelief. Neji in mauve? Great idea! Choose colors that don't even suit a person. What kind of seamstress was this?

His eyes were half lit as he annoyingly stared at what was to be a fat prancing woman with needles poking out of her mouth. Gritting his teeth, he let out a sigh.

"Tenten, what colors do you think would suit me?"

She was the only person who mattered to him. Neji now knew how much a genius could be an idiot too. He ignored what he wanted and it came this far. Now he was watching Tenten thoughtfully examine him.

_All for the wedding with a woman he barely knew._

Neji looked away.

_Right in front of me…_

_I should be with her…_

"Dark blue, trimmed with white and some silver threading? I think it'd work with you."

The seamstress chuckled. "I prefer more bright colors, after all this wedding is full of it, but I suppose the groom can get away with whatever he wants." Carrying herself as dainty as a bulldozer plowing through a forest, she left two very perplexed ninjas.

"Neji…I think you should know, that lady was the one who made Lee and Gai's kimonos."

He sat himself down, not surprised to hear what she had just said. If anything, it was probably Gai who had suggested the seamstress to one of the wedding planners. He watched Tenten sit down across from him. It didn't matter though; another dilemma was in his hands. It had been two weeks since he talked to Tenten in front of her apartment. Two of the worst weeks of his life dealing with so much frustration, only to find out that part of it was due to the girl in front of him.

"I heard Tsunade is quite pleased with you," his voice didn't stir.

"Ahh, she sent me back her review, she said it was a good thing that I tended to Sasuke. Even though I've been doing this for almost a month, I still have a lot of mixed feelings about this."

Neji frowned.

_Mixed feelings?_

It would be impulsive of him to suggest that his teammate was in love with Uchiha. However, he couldn't help but realize his growing jealousy for the shorthaired man.

_It never mattered to me that he was a criminal…_

The conversations they used to have under the sun and the stars, the days she would pack him food for their training. He missed those times when they would both gaze over the sun setting over the lush landscape on the top of a tree. Truer beauty was never shown through anything but nature and it was there that their friendship grew.

_Truer love was never born but under the night sky._

It was under the full moon after a grueling mission was finished. As they set camp, ready to rest for the morning journey home, they watched the night sky until Tenten passed out. He stared at her briefly, noting the few strands of hair that came out of her buns. The moonlight radiating her smooth face as he admired how lovely she looked when she was asleep. He had always known her to be quite adorable, but it was always in the view of their old genin days. That night was the night that Hyuuga Neji finally saw Tenten, not as a young girl, but a beautiful woman.

_The very last night I could truly face her._

He had ignored how rapidly his heart beat when he heard her sweet laughter. How he felt uncomfortable when men admired her blossoming beauty. Much like his reliance on fate back in his genin days, Neji relied on denial to put away his growing feelings. He couldn't put his finger on it, why would he be afraid of falling for her?

_To be intimate…_

To be so intimately in love with someone who was so close, to lovingly kiss her as if she belonged to him. Neji was no Casanova despite his status as one of the most eligible bachelors in Konoha. He wasn't passionate like Gai and Lee, Neji wasn't someone who spoke his inner feelings out loud. Guarded with the lock and key, Hyuuga Neji was like the bank safe of hidden inner emotions. Tenten just happened to be the factor that opened those feelings. Finally things were piecing together for him, the solution to his puzzle of unexplored emotions.

_And there she is sitting in front of me._

He had to know, to let her know, to know if she felt the same way. What would it matter though? Neji was getting married anyways.

_If I don't tell her, then it might be too late…_

"It's been awhile since we've trained together. Why don't we meet up in our usual spot tomorrow?"

"Well, I told Sasuke that I would help him train…"

Neji winced at the mention of the younger man's name. He truly envied Uchiha for being so lucky to be so close to Tenten for obvious reasons. Did Uchiha manage to replace him in Tenten's life? It seemed so silly for Neji to worry about things of that nature when the person that mattered was in front of him, but it was something that he just couldn't help but wonder.

"Neji? Are you okay? You seem to be pretty out of it."

He felt forlorn despite her kindness towards him. Selfish, that was it, he was being greedy with her. Even if he could tell her that he loved her, what if she didn't love him back? It wasn't fair to her that he felt abandoned even though it was more likely that he stopped contacting her. Uchiha's appearance was the trigger that finally got Neji to talk to Tenten after so long. If the Sharingan user hadn't come back, Tenten wouldn't be in front of him right now.

_I found out I loved her through the worst means._

"Tenten…"

She heard his breath draw long as he gave a deep pause.

"I've really missed you."

Maybe he said too much already.

Tenten smiled serenely at him, her lashes spread over her sparkling half lit eyes.

"I've missed you too Neji."

It had been a long time sense he felt this happy. Just knowing that she thought of him as well sent a sense of euphoria in his body. If only this feeling could last forever.

"I'll talk to Sasuke, I'm sure he'll understand, he's really quite nice once you get to know him."

He rose up as she did, walking towards her to close the gap between them. Perhaps it was a desperate attempt to keep the feelings alive. Long arms clasped Tenten's neck as she fell into Neji's embrace. His feelings towards her were no mistake, but the ultimate decision on whether or not to tell her would lie on the next day. If Neji broke off the engagement just to be with Tenten, his family wouldn't forgive her for breaking a political arrangement.

_I can't do that to her…_

"Tenten?"

She stood in his arms speechless.

"Thank you, for putting up with me."

He walked out the door with a bright red Tenten gazing as he became smaller with each step.

_What was that?_

Hinata watched him leave, wondering if her attempt at playing Cupid worked. There were more important things to handle though. Despite her dislike towards being involved with Hyuuga politics, something seemed amiss with the two clans future union. At first Hinata thought it was all because she felt her cousin was running away from true love. However, something earlier that day stayed in her mind.

_"Woof! Woof!"_

_"Ah! Hinata!" waved the red marked man._

_"Kiba, hello, what brings you here?"_

_A serious look entered his face. Hinata was stunned by her teammate's sudden disposition. There was no doubt that something was definitely amiss._

_"I need to talk to you privately, if you have the time, it's about Neji's marriage to Miriko."_

It was rare that she felt her blood boil, but if Kiba was right, then the union between the two clans had to never happen.

_There will be hell to pay._

_I won't back down if this is real._

Author's Note: Alright, it's been awhile since I've updated this fic and I'm sorry for that. Hinata may seem OOC in the end. However, once I reveal what Kiba told her, I think everyone's blood will boil. With Miriko, my inspiration for her? That silly MTV show My Super Sweet Sixteen, some of those kids scare the living hell out of me. I will admit this story is more drawn out than I wish for it to be. Then again, I don't like rushing the thinking process. I think this chapter signifies Neji's first attempt to show his true appreciation for Tenten. Though it seems like a defeatist attitude, right now, he just doesn't know what to do. Some definite things though in the future: Hinata will play a very big part in the story. (Quite frankly, I find her very charming.) More Sasuke/Tenten fluff, more Neji/Tenten fluff. Hope you all enjoyed. I take all critiques! Review pls!


	7. Chapter 6

Strong fingers played a haunting melody on a thick bamboo flute, half lit eyes peered with the same darkness as the song. The ancient music, which traveled through all of his clan, could only be heard from him. There was always that sense of loneliness that loomed over him, intertwined with a sense of failure. How was he, Uchiha Sasuke, supposed to continue his bloodline? This pained him much more than his haywire of a cursed seal.

_Father…mother…_

It would be his last duty to continue the line, not for his clan necessarily, but for his parents. However, that seemed a bit farfetched as well, since Sasuke wasn't one to leave his child fatherless. He had never thought about his own death, maybe it was his sheer determination and genius that made him too cocky. Even if that was the case, Sasuke didn't want to die knowing he couldn't make things right.

_My family legacy will live in melody._

This wasn't the time when Neanderthals roamed the land. Presently, people lived in the ideas of romance and love. Secretly, he wished to find someone who he could be with someone with his whole heart. It was odd; now that he was older everything became more conscious. There weren't that many women in his life that he would consider close. Really it came down to two.

Sakura's vibrancy still inhabited her. Beautiful, smart and hopelessly in love with him when they were younger, Sasuke couldn't help but view her as nothing but a close friend. Even if there was the possibility of any sort of love to bloom between them, Sasuke's decision to cross over to the dark side demolished any sort of chance for that to happen. Not like he could blame her, she saw what he really was.

Then there was Tenten, maybe it was her patience with the ultra stubborn Hyuuga. It was less difficult for her to view Sasuke in the way Sakura did, partially because seeing is harder than hearing. With his former team busy with missions, it was (unknowingly) easy for him to find solace in Tenten. She was comforting, approachable and warm.

_Her love for Hyuuga…_

His thoughts went back to Lee asking him to take care of Tenten despite knowing that she was supposed to watch him as part of her mission. The flower of Team Gai getting plucked in a painfully slow game of "He loves me, he loves me not." If something didn't happen soon, all that would be left of the flower would be a stem with petals withering on the ground.

---------

She held herself in her arms as she walked with a surreal aura up the stairs.

"_Thank you, for putting up with me."_

It was normal for her to get annoyed with Neji. However, this was the first time he put forth any sort of acknowledgement.

_The first time he ever gave this kind of appreciation._

Tenten wasn't about to delude herself into thinking that Neji was in love with her. It was just a hug, something that people generally give to their friends. At the same time, she would have been lying if she denied any of the emotions stirring inside of her.

_I can't keep doing this…_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft string of notes enchanting her ears. Inquiring where this mysterious sound came from, she followed, surprisingly realizing that it came from the open window of her apartment. She didn't want it to stop, this beautiful sound, her back facing the window; Tenten listened with her eyes closed.

_I never knew he could play so beautifully._

He already knew she was outside. It was certainly peculiar that he had started to sense Tenten without having to detect her chakra and today was no exception. Realizing that she was enjoying his flute playing, Sasuke continued.

_This isn't about my promise to Lee._

His dark eyes slid to the window's direction.

_It's just different from that. _

Normally he played his flute when he was in deep thought.

_This is for her…_

She didn't want it to stop, but alas good things always came to an end. With the click of doorknob, Tenten stepped back into her home with the dark eyes of Sasuke staring at her.

"I didn't know you played the flute," she said to him cheerfully as she sat next to him. Her eyes watched as he turned his head towards the wind instrument in an indifferent glance.

"My mother taught me how to play," his response filled with a quiet remorse. "She gave me this flute as a gift the day before my brother massacred my clan."

Tenten went quiet, an unusual thing for her to do. Looking away from him, lost in her thoughts, hoping to find those words to break the ice.

Those words never came, only the sound of music carried in the air.

She smiled at him, realizing what he was trying to do. Sitting herself next to Sasuke, she continued to admire his music

He concentrates hard on the notes he plays, every note is an unspoken word. Eyes half lit side glancing Tenten, Sasuke's inner happiness began to glow at her smile and the joy of her dark eyes.

If he truly saw the sparkling serenity in her eyes…

He would have seen the emotion he had wanted to receive all this time.

-----------------

Dead in the night…

It was the first time anyone had seen her with such an angry aura. If it was true, _Of course it had to be true, Kiba wouldn't lie, _thenthere was no chance for Hinata to calm down until everything was rectified.

_How dare they…_

Neji, the man who was she regarded as her closer brother, getting married to a clan who cared nothing for him or the Hyuuga family.

…_hurt Neji nii-san…_

She continued to feel this newly found rage. Her white eyes glanced quickly at all sides of the newly decorated room, everything that stood for something of no meaning. What good were the fancy ribbons when no one should really be celebrating? What was the point in having golden colors when nothing felt rich or bright?

_What good is a marriage when it is filled with nothing but deceit?_

He went into the marriage hoping to close the gap between the Main and Branch House, in memory of his father who wanted to do the same. Neji gave up many things just to have this opportunity.

_Love_

Two people watched her, both in surprise and sorrow. They had never seen their female teammate so distraught. Aburame Shino peered through his glasses as he noted that Hinata suddenly felt lost, as if she were caught in a fog. He looked over at his teammate who looked over at him plainly. Both knew this was another time they needed to be there for Hinata.

"Shino…. Kiba?"

Quickly turning their heads towards her, they anticipated what she would say.

"Neji nii-san has been my bodyguard since we were young. It is what the Branch House is supposed to do."

Kiba gave a slightly confused look.

"However, after all that hostility that Neji had disappeared. He guarded me not because he was supposed to, but because we were finally family."

They had always worked well as a team, never failing each other when another needed help. Even if Hinata still didn't have her father's approval, she knew she could always count on Kiba and Shino.

"Help me," she turned to them with tear stained white orbs. "Help me protect him!"

Shino nodded silently as water started free falling from her angry eyes. It had been so long since Hinata had cried. Still, this was different, she had never cried out of rage. Kiba knew this wasn't a time for any of the loud-mouthed jokes he usually made to cheer her up. It was awkward for him to be as seemingly stoic as Shino always was, Kiba visually hated the feeling of watching his teammate so upset.

_Let's make Hinata smile again._

_-------------------------- _

Neji felt inwardly nervous about training with Tenten again. It used to a daily routine. They would both go all out and normally Neji would win. Still, whenever their spars ended, she always left with a smile on her face. Back when they were younger, that action would always secretly annoy him. It wasn't something like Lee's where his eagerness was doted on by Gai, just that for some reason, Neji couldn't feel the same. Normally he would give a cocky smirk or one of the rare times where he had an epiphany.

_You are my sunshine._

It always made him feel good whenever she would run over to him. They had always been close and even if he didn't show it, he liked that she would talk to him about her dreams.

_My only sunshine,_

He rarely let people in his life. It especially bugged him back when he found out he was in a team with Lee. Why would they want to team up the Rookie of the Year with the bug eyed loser of the year? Meeting Might Gai was the cherry on the top, his smile was enough to burn Neji's corneas. Then there was Tenten, the girl who always able to make a weapon with almost anything around her. Neji never really paid attention to her when they were in class, but she seemed to be the only sane one other than him. That was the only thing that made him somewhat happy back then, finding someone who wouldn't test his own sanity.

_You make me happy,_

A giggle, a laugh, a grin, and part of what he knew now, were the happiest memories of his youth. Neji touched the naked bark of a tree that he used to practice. Another memory popped in his head, one of Tenten cheering him on each time he tried perfecting the art of Gentle Fist on that very tree. No one knew the extent of his abilities, not the Hyuuga clan, or Gai, just Tenten. Her confidence in him was always part of why everything worked so well. Their training spot was nothing but a chance to work together.

_When skies are grey,_

Neji knew he was going to lose her. He didn't know what was the worse reasoning, his marriage to Miriko or the possibility of losing her to someone else.

_You'll never know, dear_

He didn't want to be selfish…

_How much I love you,_

It couldn't be helped, not the way he was feeling. There was no way he could have the best of both worlds. He could only mentally beg. Beg that there was some way he could be with her. Selfishly hope that she wouldn't turn her gaze at another man. Specifically the dark eyed Uchiha, the closest man to her other than Neji himself. When he saw Tenten holding a fainted Sasuke that fateful night, it felt as if he was a step closer to losing her. Was there anyway to stop it? What right did he have to prevent his best friend from falling in love with another man? Still, he couldn't stop grimacing, as he silently cursed his thoughts.

_Please don't take my sunshine away._

_--------------------------- _

Rock Lee watched his teammate from the tall trees.

_This is what Gai-sensei meant when he always talks about wasted youth. Now I truly understand._

He always fought with his heart, that's how Lee became after the teachings of his great master. It was always doubt that shrouded him when he was younger. Not being able to do any genjitsu or ninjitsu made his dream hard. However, all that negativity shredded once Gai entered his life.

_Neji, you have always been a genius. I have envied those like you and Sasuke Uchiha._

It was always important to celebrate youth according to Gai. There were even times when Lee wondered why his teacher always mentioned those words. Things other than the spirit of youth, would always surround the life of a shinobi.

_Now I truly understand Gai sensei…_

He turned away and headed home.

_To live without youthful energy, means a life of regret. To have love, joy, and heart are all part of that very spirit, one that I will now treasure more than ever._

Lee looked back for a moment, his teammate was probably still there contemplating.

_Neji, please follow what your desires._

_------------------------------- _

She found herself asleep on her couch. Stretching out her arms, Tenten rose up with a groggy mind. Rubbing her eyes, shaking her head awake, her thirst got the best of her as she slowly entered her kitchen. Across from her, sitting on the counter, was Sasuke Uchiha, eating a rice ball.

"How long have I been out?" Tenten grumbled in exhaustion. It was pretty uncommon for her to fall asleep like that.

"Maybe about three hours or so," replied Sasuke, still stuffing his mouth with rice.

"Mhmm," muttered Tenten as she opened the refrigerator door and grabbed out some leftovers.

Sitting down next to her roommate, Tenten pushed a giant glob of noodles in her mouth, furiously chewing with cranky energy. Sasuke chuckled at her display of hunger, reminding himself of how Naruto used to chomp down Ichiraku ramen.

Taking one more gulp of noodles, she remembered what she wanted to talk to Sasuke about.

"Hey Sasuke, I talked to Neji today. If it's alright, can we cancel tomorrow's training?"

His black eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of **his **name. Perhaps it was for the best though…

"It's alright, but there's only one way I'll let you ditch training with me…"

A look of confusion struck her as the handsome Uchiha turned his head towards her with a cocky smirk.

"I want to show you a place where I enjoyed being alone back when I trained with Naruto and Sakura, think you're up for it?"

Tenten nodded slowly as Sasuke stood up and left the kitchen.

---------------------

Shino snuck around the Hyuuga compound with ease. Thanks to Hinata's directions, the bug shinobi quickly found the guest rooms inhabited by Miriko's family members. Through the fingertips ran a bug as small as a pin, whispering instructions; Shino bid the insect a farewell.

-----------------

It was colder than expected, making Tenten wish she brought a thicker jacket along in this trip. Blowing warm air into her cold fingers, she felt thick warmth over her shoulders. Looking up, she saw Sasuke had placed his own jacket over her. Tenten tried to protest but the dark haired man raised a hand assuring that he was all right.

They talked, getting the idea on how each of their days went. Eventually the idle chat changed to memories of their younger days, when they trained under their rival senseis. Tenten burst into a huge laugh when Sasuke mentioned the time his team attempted to unmask Kakashi, only to be met with continual failure.

"So at the end of the day, it was all a bust," smiled Tenten.

"Yeah, but it couldn't have been as bad as Gai making you do 300 laps each day."

"Lee used to fall asleep WHILE running those laps."

"Fall…asleep?" replied a weirded out Sasuke. He could only imagine how many things Rock Lee ran into while doing that.

From Naruto's challenges, to Gai's scary green spandex, Tenten and Sasuke charged through memory lane like flipping pages. Through the cold road of blowing wind, a sense of warmth filled the air.

"We're here," Sasuke said calmly.

Through the thick grass, Tenten glimpsed at the orange red flickers that filled the night sky, reflections of light danced on the small lake.

"It's beautiful."

Sasuke kneeled in front of the lake, admiring the way the crescent moon bathed the lake with a small amount of white light.

"When I was younger, I watched that moon and wondered if my father and mother were watching me right then and there." He picked up a smooth round stone.

She watched the stone skip on the lake five times, pondering his words.

"I brought you here because I wanted to say goodbye."

"Goodbye.." repeated the shocked Tenten. "But, but, why?"

"I asked Hokage-sama one last request, once everything's set, I could be gone at anytime," said Sasuke. "If I'm gone before I can see you, I want to say goodbye now and tell you thank you for taking care of me."

"So, you still want to avenge your family huh," breathed Tenten.

He turned his head towards her and nodded.

"When that day comes, when I find you gone…"

She smiled.

"..expect me to follow you."

It was an answer that Sasuke didn't expect out of her. He watched her as she stared at the fireflies in the air around her. Illuminated by the ethereal light the insects created, he couldn't help but admire how lovely she looked.

"Why?" It was all Sasuke could muster up.

"I know how you feel, how it feels to lose so many people you love," whispered Tenten.

All eyes were on her.

"I've always believed a long time ago, that kunoichis could by just as good as shinobis, I wanted to be the embodiment of that, still do."

_But you are_

"When I was just a baby, my mother and my sister were murdered by my own father. Eventually my father was killed as he tried to escape, but I was left alone."

_How do you continue to smile like that?_

"As I grew up, I heard stories from villagers about how my mother was a wonderful kunoichi, a weapon mistress like me. Everything that I learned, were from her teachings."

_As I grew up hearing how my clan was on the verge of extinction._

"What killed me when I was younger, was hearing these people talking about how my mother died because men were always stronger than women. My mother had no way of defending herself against my father."

Tenten sat herself down, next to Sasuke.

"Just fighting for my mother, makes me feel stronger…happier…"

She smiled.

"You shouldn't be alone anymore Sasuke, solitude's painful, I know because I grew up the same way."

Sasuke gave a small grin to himself.

If there's anyone that I would want to go with…

She rose back up, fireflies in her hair, glancing back at him with calm eyes. Her brown eyes that silently asked him to let her go with.

It was odd knowing that even if he refused to let her follow him, she would do it anyways. Sasuke knew that Tenten acknowledged the dangers of helping him. Part of this killed him, knowing that she would willingly put herself out there for him. However, he wasn't surprised either.

"When I do leave…"

Her ears waited in anticipation.

"You can do what you want."

She let out a laugh. It wasn't an answer she expected but it was satisfying nonetheless.

They watched the fireflies, a rare treat, for the light of a firefly doesn't last forever.

-------------------------

Walking down the road to the northern gates of Konoha, Neji found himself not wanting to go home. It was strange, not wanting to go home. After missions were completed, home was always a place of comfort. Now going back would mean he would have to deal with what the morning would bring.

_Have I ever been this afraid of the future? Of what my possible fate may be?_

If it had been daylight, the lines of his discomforted face would not have gone unnoticed. He was never one to run away from his problems, but for the first time Neji wished that Gai would just make him do 1000 laps. With his mind overrun with questions about his future, the thought that maybe having leadership of the Hyuuga clan wasn't such a great idea. He was a genius, no doubt about it, but it didn't mean he was suited to lead. How odd that in order for him to change tradition, he had to go through tradition in order to perform that action.

His thoughts were then broken by the sound of slow footsteps. Turning his head, Neji saw a large shadowy silhouette approaching. He didn't need Byakugan to know who it, or rather they, were.

-----------------------

Sasuke didn't mind being hunched over like he was, it was his fault anyways. Tenten was so tired that during their firefly watching, she fell asleep. Before leaving, he woke her up lightly and gestured her to let him carry her on his back. Initially, she refused, insisting that she was able to walk despite being so tired. However, there was no way Sasuke would take no for an answer. She slept peacefully and the warmth her body provided in the cold night wasn't so bad. He reveled this time of better moments, clinging on to the memories of lost childhood.

If this was another time, a better time, maybe he could have been friends with Tenten without having to suffer so much. Then again, the possibility arose that he probably wouldn't have talked to her either. There were many scenarios he played in his head, ranging from his parents being alive to if he hadn't joined Orochimaru. Even the idea of not being a ninja or a genius arose to him from time to time. There was no way to turn back time though and all the things he thought about were just what they were, thoughts.

--------------------

His white eyes glared harsher then the veins provided by his Byakugan. Neji wasn't entirely sure if Sasuke had noticed him ahead but his eyes definitely didn't deceive him. Tenten asleep, on Sasuke's back, left Neji feeling slow sharp pangs of jealousy. Never in his time with Tenten, had he had the opportunity to display such tender feelings like the way Sasuke had just now.

The footsteps stopped as Neji continued to glare.

-----------------------

His long bangs made it hard for him to really see Neji, but Sasuke was sure that he wasn't too happy.

"What did you do to her?" His voice was low and deadly.

"You can tell what happened, she fell asleep," Sasuke replied.

Neji was irritating the Sharingan user, if more words were exchanged, then there was no doubt something would erupt.

----------------------

"Don't you dare hurt her," it was the only thing that Neji could think of saying.

He could hear a deep chuckle coming from him, as if something Neji said tickled his funny bone. Obviously the statement itself was foolish, he knew Sasuke was fond of Tenten much like he was, but to what extent, he didn't know. They way she softly slept on his shoulders, how close they were, everything about this scene hurt him to the core. For the first time in their friendship, he had finally given Tenten a hug and Sasuke managed to comfortably carry her already.

Like the swift wind, he felt them pass by.

"**The only hurt she's felt came from your neglect."**

Neji couldn't move.

------------------------

It was odd that he would say that to Neji Hyuuga through his anger that he would actually hurt Tenten in anyway. That reply that personified presently everything about Tenten and Neji's friendship. Sasuke couldn't help but solemnly admit that he was a hypocrite for doing the same to Sakura and Naruto. Those words that he passed down to Neji, were probably as painful to him as they were to Sasuke.

Maybe there was a mild guilt factor for thinking that Tenten should remove Neji from her life and start anew. Sasuke would have been lying if he said that he wasn't developing feelings for her, from the time they spent as roommates to tonight's talk solidified all the emotions he had for her.

He opened the door, letting Tenten's body shift to the right side of his body. Slowly entering the empty apartment, he found his way to her room. Gently placing her on her bed, Sasuke carefully took the blanket under her, placing it over her. Sitting beside her bed, he found himself wishing that he hadn't agreed to allow her to come with. That was all said and done though, the only thing he could hope for was to be far away enough so she couldn't catch up.

"Tenten…"

There was a thought that struck him awhile back, something he said to her back when she received the invitation to attend the engagement party.

"…when I wondered if you were fated to lose Hyuuga…"

He knew who she was, what kind of person shined behind steel weapons.

"I was wrong…."

Maybe it was his own experience that he placed upon Neji, but it didn't matter.

"…he was fated to lose you, all this time."

With that, Sasuke placed a soft kiss on Tenten's forehead, letting it linger there. His heart beating faster, Sasuke left her room.

_He loved her._

Sasuke knew that Neji loved her too.

_Pitiful._

They were both gifted with the ability of special sight, only to be blind to those who cared for them.

**NOTES**: AUUUUGH SO THIS IS FINALLY DONE. Thank goodness, I thought I was going to die. Anyways, some explanations: fireflies are also called lightning bugs, take that into consideration. I used that lullaby (which is actually a song, doesn't belong to me obviously about Louisiana.) as a way to reference as to how torn Neji is. It's a bunch of dilemmas. The flute thing came from a couple of pictures Kishimoto drew of Sasuke playing one. I will say though, I do seem to notice that the chapters involving Sasuke/Tenten seem to be the less popular ones (well of course, most people like Neji/Tenten.) I thought I could play with that statement about losing someone due to fate. (Thanks wildcatt for pointing that out.) Hopefully this'll cause a little more stew in the pot if you know what I mean! Anyways, REVIEW! God knows how much I love it when people review!


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